33rd Chess Olympiad

File:Chess Olympiad 1998 Elista.gif

Official logo of the Olympiad

File:Chess Olympiad 1998 mascot.gif

Official mascot of the Olympiad

The 33rd Chess Olympiad (, 33-ya Shakhmatnaya olimpiada; Kalmyk: 33-гче Шатрин олимпиад, 33-gçe Şatrin olimpiad), organized by FIDE and comprising an open and a women's tournament, took place between September 26 and October 13, 1998, in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. There were 110 teams in the open event and 72 in the women's event.

The Olympiad was the first international chess event to be held at Chess City. Construction of the complex was not complete by the start of the tournament, and some FIDE members were concerned that the facilities would not be ready in time, including the airport, telephone system, player housing, and the "Chess Palace" to be used as the main playing hall.

Reported human rights abuses by FIDE and Kalmykia president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov led to calls for a boycott from Valery Borshchev, a member of the Duma. The British government did not call for a boycott but confirmed "reliable reports of human rights problems" and suggested that Kalmykian authorities might use publicity from Olympiad participation by foreign teams for its own purposes. Three nations were signed up but chose to stay away: Denmark, Norway, and Slovakia.

The opening ceremony took place as scheduled, but the Chess Palace was still covered in scaffolding and was missing many windows. The first round was delayed, one free day was eliminated, and the tournament was shortened to 13 rounds from the planned 14. The organizers worked around the clock and playing conditions improved as the tournament progressed, although the main playing hall was not properly heated. Living conditions, food and drink, and telephone service were generally reported to be acceptable.

Both tournament sections were officiated by International Arbiter Geurt Gijssen (Netherlands). Teams were paired across the 13 rounds of competition according to the Swiss system. The open division was played over four boards per round, whilst the women's was played over three. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided by 1. the Buchholz system; and 2. match points.

The time control for each game permitted each player 100 minutes to make their first 40 moves, then an additional 50 minutes to make the next 20 moves, and then 10 minutes to finish the game, with an additional 30 seconds devolving on each player after each move, beginning with the first.

In addition to the overall medal winners, the teams were divided into seeding groups, with the top finishers in each group receiving special prizes.

Open event

The open division was contested by 110 teams representing 106 nations. Russia, as hosts, fielded an unprecedented four teams (Russia "C" was referred to as "Team Kalmykia" and Russia "D" was a youth team), whilst the International Braille Chess Association provided one squad.

Even without their strongest players, the "Three Ks" (PCA world champion Garry Kasparov, FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov and Vladimir Kramnik), Russia were still favourites, and the team did win their fourth consecutive title. The United States improved another spot from the previous Olympiad and finished second, and Ukraine took the bronze medals, beating Israel on tiebreak.

Open event

#	Country	Players	Average rating	Points	Buchholz
1	Template:Flagu	Svidler, Rublevsky, Bareev, Morozevich, Zvjaginsev, Sakaev	2684	35½
2	Template:Flagu	Yermolinsky, Shabalov, Seirawan, Gulko, De Firmian, Kaidanov	2631	34½
3		Ivanchuk, Onischuk, Romanishin, Malaniuk, Savchenko, Ponomariov	2638	32½	394.0
4		Alterman, Smirin, Sutovsky, Psakhis, Kosashvili, Avrukh	2593	32½	379.0
5	Template:Flagu	Peng Xiaomin, Ye Jiangchuan, Zhang Zhong, Yu Shaoteng, Wu Wenjin, Wang Rui	2498	31½	389.5
6	Template:Flagu	Yusupov, Dautov, Lutz, Hübner, Gabriel, Luther	2610	31½	386.5
7	Template:Flagcountry	Azmaiparashvili, Giorgadze, Sturua, Bagaturov, Supatashvili, Janjgava	2601	31½	377.5
8	Template:Flagu "B"	Dreev, Filippov, Volkov, Kobalia, Yemelin, Shariyazdanov	2594	31	395.5
9		Almási, Pintér, C. Horváth, J. Horváth, Varga, Gyimesi	2588	31	375.0
10		Istrățescu, Marin, Nisipeanu, Ionescu, Nevednichy, Vajda	2548	30½	392.5

#	Country	Average rating	Points	Buchholz	MP
11	Template:Flagu	2661	30½	390.5
12	Template:Flagu	2605	30½	380.5
13	Template:Flagcountry	2555	30½	378.5
14		2533	30½	369.5
15	Template:Flagu	2564	30½	361.5
16		2630	30	397.5
17		2626	30	393.0
18	Template:Flagcountry	2563	30	367.5
19		2519	30	359.5
=20	Template:Flagu	2546	29½	372.0	16
=20		2565	29½	372.0	16
22	Template:Country data Lithuania	2539	29½	368.0
23		2515	29½	357.5
24		2519	29	379.5
25	Template:CRO	2559	29	363.0
26	Template:Flagu	2585	28½	383.5
27		2525	28½	373.5
28		2545	28½	372.0
29	Template:Flagu	2601	28½	370.5
30		2590	28½	368.0
31	Template:Flagu	2509	28½	364.5
32	Template:Flagu "C"	2470	28½	357.5
33	Template:Flagu	2491	28½	353.0
34	Template:Flagu	2464	28½	343.0
35		2443	28	368.5
36		2531	28	366.5
37		2511	28	364.5
38		2371	28	338.5
39		2495	27½	373.5
40		2580	27½	370.5
41	Template:Flagu	2488	27½	360.0
42	Template:Flagu	2466	27½	358.5
43		2474	27½	356.0
44		2418	27½	354.0	14
45		2420	27½	354.0	12
46		2499	27½	352.5
47		2376	27½	348.5
48	Template:Flagu	2485	27½	348.0
49		2370	27½	341.5
50		2390	27	360.0
51		2489	27	355.0
52	IBCA	2263	27	339.5
53		2384	26½	353.5
54	Template:Flagu	2335	26½	351.0
55		2464	26½	348.5
56	Template:Flagu	2286	26½	323.0
57		2445	26	356.0
58		2349	26	343.5
59		2374	26	339.0
60		2339	26	333.0
61	Template:Flagu	2415	26	331.0
62		2229	26	313.5
63	Template:Flagu	2405	25½	342.0
64		2398	25½	337.5
65	Template:Country data Venezuela	2314	25½	334.5
66		2348	25½	334.0
67		2418	25½	333.5
68		2275	25½	320.0
69		2256	25½	318.5
70		2444	25
71	Template:Country data Turkmenistan	2431	24½	352.5
72		2233	24½	341.5
73	Template:Country data Iraq	2301	24½	329.0
74		2075	24	321.0
75		2223	24	316.5
76		2238	24	313.5
77		2276	24	308.5
78		2066	24	307.5
79		2254	23½	330.0
80	Template:Flagu	2318	23½	326.0
81		2184	23½	316.0
82	Template:Flagu "D"	2215	23½	315.5
83		2035	23½	302.0
84		2246	23	328.5
85		2148	23	315.0
86	Template:Flagcountry	2000	23	301.0
87	Template:Flagcountry	2243	23	299.0
88		2129	23	294.5
89		2276	22½	317.5
90		2118	22½	312.0
91		2076	22½	305.5
92	Template:Flagcountry	2191	22½	303.5
93		2045	22½	296.0
94		2191	22	323.0
95	Template:Flagcountry	2184	22	288.5
96	Template:Flagcountry	2149	22	276.0
97		2078	22	270.0
98		2151	21½	296.5
99		2054	21½	272.0
100	Template:Country data Macau	2148	21½	268.0
101		2045	21
102		2134	20½	293.0
103		2060	20½	273.0
104		2049	20½	261.5
105		2081	20	265.5
106	Template:Country data Afghanistan	2000	20	260.0
107		2043	19
108		2090	18½
109		2060	18
110		2000	3

Individual medals

• Performance rating: Template:Flagicon Zurab Azmaiparashvili 2804
• Board 1: Template:Flagicon Mohamad Al-Modiahki 7½ / 8 = 93.8%
• Board 2: Template:Flagicon Odion Aikhoje 6½ / 8 = 81.3%
• Board 3: Template:Flagicon Reynaldo Vera González 7 / 9 = 77.8%
• Board 4: Template:Flagicon Hamaid Gadhi 6½ / 8 = 81.3%
• 1st reserve: Template:Flagicon Andrew Muir 6 / 7 = 85.7%
• 2nd reserve: Template:Flagicon Boris Avrukh 8 / 10 = 80.0%

Women's event

The women's division was contested by 72 teams representing 69 nations. Russia, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association entered one squad.

China finally broke the Eastern European dominance by winning the title, led by former (and future) world champion Xie Jun and future champion Zhu Chen. Russia took the silver, whilst defending quadruple champions Georgia had to settle for bronze.

#	Country	Players	Average rating	Points	Buchholz
1	Template:Flagu	Xie Jun, Zhu Chen, Wang Pin, Wang Lei	2480	29
2	Template:Flagu	Matveeva, Kovalevskaya, Shumiakina, Stepovaya-Dianchenko	2438	27	295.0
3	Template:Flagcountry	Chiburdanidze, Ioseliani, Arakhamia-Grant, Khurtsidze	2480	27	289.5
4	Template:Flagu	Peng Zhaoqin, Sziva, Bosboom-Lanchava, Jap Tjoen San	2325	23½	290.0
5		Stefanova, Voiska, Velcheva, Aleksieva	2387	23½	277.0
6		Peptan, Foișor, Cosma, Olărașu	2398	23	299.0
7	Template:Flagcountry	Marić, Bojković, Vuksanović, Manakova	2422	23	293.5
8		Lakos, Mádl, Grábics, Medvegy	2383	23	279.5
9	Template:Flagu "C"	Demina, Kosteniuk, Kharashkina, Gelashvili	2205	23	275.0
10	Template:Flagu	Belakovskaia, Krush, Epstein, Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya	2355	23	271.5

#	Country	Average rating	Points	Buchholz	MP
11	Template:Flagu	2428	22½	300.5
12		2430	22½	289.0
13		2183	22½	282.5
14		2258	22½	281.0
15	Template:Flagu	2252	22½	266.5
16	Template:Flagu	2345	22	283.0
17		2292	22	281.5
18		2322	22	281.0	14
19		2247	22	281.0	13
20	Template:Flagu	2323	22	269.0
21		2288	21½	277.0
22		2322	21½	274.5
23		2258	21½	272.5
24		2262	21	281.0
25		2203	21	280.0
26	Template:Flagu "B"	2358	21	271.5
27	Template:Flagu	2237	21	251.0
28		2298	20½	284.0
29	Template:CRO	2263	20½	272.0
30		2052	20½	265.5
31		2188	20½	256.0
32	Template:Flagcountry	2253	20	269.0
33		2157	20	267.0
34		2110	20	257.0
35	Template:Flagu	2120	20	256.5
36		2223	20	256.0
37	Template:Country data Lithuania	2198	19½	280.5
38	Template:Flagu	2222	19½	269.5
39		2227	19½	267.5
40		2240	19½	265.5
41		2097	19½	254.0
42	Template:Country data Turkmenistan	2227	19½	251.5
43		2022	19½	233.0
44		2098	19	257.5
45		2192	19	247.5
46	Template:Flagu	2098	19	244.0
47	Template:Flagu	2080	18½	253.5
48		2000	18½	247.5
49	IBCA	2080	18½	241.5
50		2000	18½	208.0
51		2000	18½	190.5
52	Template:Flagu	2127	18	245.0	11
53	Template:Flagu	2080	18	245.0	10
54	Template:Flagcountry	2133	18	244.5	13
55		2068	18	244.5	9
56		2008	18	222.0
57	Template:Country data Iraq	2063	18	219.5
58		2025	17½	232.5
59		2000	17½	202.0
60		2017	17	246.0
61	Template:Flagu	2045	17	239.0
62	Template:Flagu	2000	17	217.5
63		2000	17	213.5
64		2037	16½	224.5
65		2000	16½	192.0
66	Template:Flagu	2023	15½
67		2000	15
68		2000	13
69	Template:Flagcountry	2017	12
70		2000	9½
71		2000	8½
72		2000	2½

Individual medals

• Performance rating: Template:Flagicon Wang Lei 2618
• Board 1: Template:Flagicon Mähri Ovezova 10½ / 13 = 80.8%
• Board 2: Template:Flagicon Eman Hassane Al-Rufei 8 / 9 = 88.9%
• Board 3: Template:Flagicon Tatiana Shumiakina 6½ / 8 = 81.3%
• Reserve: Template:Flagicon Tatiana Stepovaya-Dianchenko and Template:Flagicon Wang Lei 8 / 9 = 88.9%

Overall title

The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is awarded to the nation that has the best average rank in the open and women's divisions. Where two or more teams are tied, they are ordered by best single finish in either division and then by total number of points scored.

The trophy, named after the former women's world champion (1961–78), was created by FIDE in 1997 and awarded for the first time in Elista.

#	Team	Open division	Women's division	Average
1	Template:Flagu	1	2	1½
2	Template:Flagu	5	1	3
3	Template:Flagcountry	7	3	5

Notes

• 33rd Chess Olympiad: Elista 1998 OlimpBase
• Justin Corfield, The History of Kalmykia: From Ancient Times to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and Aleksey Orlov, 2015. The Olympiad is covered in p. 163-170. Template:ISBN.
• Carol Jarecki, "Reports from the 33rd Olympiad, Elista, Kalmyk Republic", Chess Life Online